Behavioral targeting is among the latest and most widely-accepted forms of online display advertising employed by online marketers.  Where other forms of online display ads simply provide content related to the host site or the presumed visiting audience, behavioral targeting actually defines and categorizes web users, giving marketers a much clearer picture of online prospects.  Though not without its critics, behavioral targeting is without question a step into the future of online–and possibly offline–marketing.

When marketers and their web research departments discovered that web browser cookies could be used to, in a sense, “track” consumer behavior, it opened up a Pandora’s Box of marketing opportunities–and concerns.  When a web user visits a marketer’s site, that site can leave a cookie on the user’s browser.  That cookie has specially-programmed code that allows it to identify and compile relevant web usage and web activity, and then reports it all back to the advertiser for analysis.  That information is then used to serve advertising back to the original web user based on the user’s activities, interests, and behavior.  The result is advertising tailored much more to the online consumer, and much less to the website or medium.

This kind of more personalized advertising is more expensive, but yields a much more qualified prospect, netting the marketer conversion rates that are much higher.  Critics of behavioral targeting raise concerns about privacy, though as of now browser cookies accumulate only browsing data–not direct demographic information–and that data should be anonymous, since cookies do not know who is actually using the computer.  Nonetheless, the FTC has put in place specific guidelines related to the use of behavioral targeting.

By providing more refined data and better targeting of online prospects, behavioral marketing allows advertisers to sell directly to the consumer, instead of around the consumer.  The advertising is more customized to the interests and behavior of the user, and should generate more leads with less waste.  SmartLink can help you execute your behavioral targeting campaign, and aim your marketing focus with precision, instead of with a shotgun.  Call SmartLink today at (561) 688-8155.

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Google has announced that change is coming to search, whether the marketing world is ready for it or not.  In what will be the biggest change to Google’s primary product since the introduction of AdWords, Google will be shifting from its current search model to one based on semantic analysis.  In other words, it will be attempting to introduce a form of artificial intelligence to its search function.

Google, as well as other search engines, currently relies on a keyword-based search system, one that scans web pages and sites for the keyword entered and structures its results based on the relevance of factors pertaining to those sites.  Being that there is no true alternative to this type of search, searchers are used to, and comfortable with, this keyword-based system.  But what if Google could “understand” the context in which the keyword is being searched?  It could provide results that pertain more to what is being requested than a string of webpages that simply feature the keyword but are completely of context.

Further, Google is attempting to feature its own site as the platform to answer these queries, rather than promoting links to sites that could potentially satisfy the searcher.  The ramifications of this shift to marketers could be staggering, as search results could be reduced to just a few on the first page, or even “below the fold” of the screen completely.  Search engine optimization will likely need to be done in an entirely new way, as semantic search will probably put such an emphasis on content and accuracy that the use of backlinking and blogging may be rendered substantially less effective.  And Google text ads will need to be written to emphasize content and pertinence to the search, as opposed to purely featuring the most popular keyword.

Scheduled to debut in the latter half of 2012, Google’s semantic search will call for a significant shift in how advertisers approach search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, and online marketing in general.  Search engine marketing was a daunting task before the change to semantic search, so don’t tackle this challenge alone, enlist the help of the experts at SmartLink.  Call them at (561) 688-8155.

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Online display advertising is not necessarily a new proposition for marketers, but there is a slew of new ways to incorporate it into a campaign.  Traditionally, a display ad might appear in a newspaper or on a billboard; however, at the pace which digital technology is replacing traditional forms of media, it may not be long before people will infer that “display advertising” means that it is online.  The display ad in the traditional sense could contain a call to action, but it is more often used by general advertisers to build brand awareness.  The same holds true for online display ads.  Considering the average click-through rate of an online display ad is 0.1%, branding and building awareness should be the focus of your display advertising campaign.

Display advertising on the internet is an extremely versatile tool, one that can be employed for mass audiences or honed to hit a very precise target.  There are a variety of approaches from which to choose when deciding how to reach your audience:

1. Geographic, Demographic, Endemic, and Contextual Targeting
2. Behavioral Targeting
3. Remarketing
4. Engagement-Based Optimization

Options from the first group above focus on displaying an advertiser’s creative on sites that in some way relate to the target audience or the content of the ad itself.  For instance, an advertiser promoting a new sneaker may elect to run on sites that skew towards a young male demographic, or perhaps sites relating to sports, or even both.  But in the modern world of display advertising, marketers aren’t limited strictly to sites based around a theme or demographic, they can get much more personal.  With behavioral targeting and remarketing, an online advertiser can use cookies to track users and market directly and specifically to them based on their behavior and web-surfing history.  Engagement-based optimization adds another layer to the process of establishing your best value by using advanced metrics to determine which sites offer the lowest cost when delivering your desired demographic.

SmartLink is your guide to understanding what online display advertising tools best suit you and will help you execute a campaign tailored to hit your target audience.  With clear reporting and responsive customer service, SmartLink solves the question of online display.

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Metadata is a component of virtually every website; in fact, metadata in one form or another is an ingredient in nearly every digital file that exists.  But when people think of metadata, usually it is in the context of how it influences the creation and promotion of a webpage or website.  And it is in this regard that the debate about the value of metadata persists.  Website metadata consists of multiple elements, each with different “attributes”, but which of these attributes factor into the relevance of a site in its search engine results?  Common attributes found in the construction of a site are:

1. keyword
2. description
3. language
4. robots

Over the years, the discussion regarding metatags and metadata and their impact on search results has rarely revolved around the language and robots attributes, with more often than not the focus of the conversation being about the value of the keyword attribute.  The phrase “keyword” in and of itself probably does not need an introduction, but its use in the meta element of a website may at this point be done merely as tradition or as a last ditch at injecting more content for search engines to consider.  However, in 2009 Google stated it no longer takes keyword into consideration in its searches, effectively rendering its usage rather moot.

That leaves the description attribute as the primary means of weaving meaningful content into the source code of a website.  The “description” is exactly that–a roughly 150 word synopsis of the page.  Most major search engines give weight to the description, factoring its content when determining the search relevance of a site or page.  Thus, the importance of keywords is not even in the “keyword” tag, it is in the “description”.

There is a lot to consider when optimizing your website, including the quality and character of your site’s metadata and keywords.  Smartlink can make it easy for you.  Give us a call and see what kind of website promotion solutions we can provide to make sure your site has the best chance to be seen on all of the major search engines.

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Local search may seem like an obvious choice for a local advertiser’s marketing mix, but the truth is that until recently the importance and impact of local search was either not known or not acknowledged.  Search was a marketing concept that was broad in scope, for enterprises with a strictly online presence or a chain store located in Everywhere, USA.  That changed in 2007 when Google published a study that showed 73% of online activity related to local content.  Online analytics leader comScore has further bolstered that report with one of their own, stating that 66% of Americans use search engines to find brick-and-mortar locations and that a stunning 90% of commercial online searches result in a purchase at a physical location.  For local marketers it is a referendum on the power of local search.

Local search should be recognized as a critical component of an advertiser’s marketing plan. The challenge is in identifying the most effective means of getting to the front of the line when it comes to search results based on the user’s locality.  Certainly Google, as well as other major search engines such as Yahoo and Bing, has to be in the forefront of your plan, but with hundreds of locally-focused engines and directories staking a significant claim on the digital landscape, the test is in getting on all of these directories, staying on them, and staying relevant.

Local directories and search engines come in several forms, such as:

• Traditional search engines that can provide specific local results, possibly including a map to the location and some information about the goods or services provided.  Examples would be Google Places, Ask Local, and Yahoo Local.
• Traditional directory-style sites that utilize the tried-and-true “Yellow Pages” format of business name, contact information, and possibly a display ad or coupon.  The Yellow Pages site and its many spinoffs, and the Superpages would be good examples of this type of site.
• Far more prevalent than either of those kinds of sites are the newer, socially-driven directories that emphasize customer reviews and interactivity between the customer and business.  Great examples of this type of site are Yelp, LocalAdLink, and MerchantCircle.

It’s a daunting task to submit to all these directories and manage your presence on each of them, but that’s where SmartLink can help.  SmartLink’s proprietary SmartList is the most effective solution on the market to delivering all your business’s relevant information and managing it as changes occur.  SmartList submits your business to over 350 different online engines and directories, as well as all of the major GPS systems.  With SmartList you are guaranteed to claim your position on the local search landscape.

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Pinterest is the latest in social media trends.  Don’t feel out of the loop if you just found out about it; viral marketing of the website has just recently begun to hit its stride.  In fact, according to a Wall Street Journal article, unique visitors to Pinterest.com have more than tripled since October 2011, and in January the site generated almost a third of the visitors of Twitter.

So what is Pinterest?  Pinterest is a social photo-sharing site stylized after your mom’s old-fashioned pinboard.  Users can share virtually any picture–and even some videos–on their own pinboard page using Pinterest’s proprietary “Pin It” bookmark button.  Visit any website and hit the “Pin It” button on your bookmark toolbar and you’ll be allowed to select any number of graphics from the site and pin them to your own page, complete with a link directly to the picture’s original site.  From there other users can “re-pin” your pictures to their own pages, and vice versa, increasing relevance on Pinterest and among search engines.

Pinterest is free to users and has been active for roughly a year, and to this point no obvious advertising streams have been employed.  However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t marketing opportunities present.  Online sellers can pin a picture on their page and by simply adding a price in the picture’s description Pinterest will emblazon the picture with a price tag, in a sense creating an online sales platform.  Perhaps even more important is the possibility of creating armies of volunteer marketers armed with the ability to share and exchange hyper-linked pictures of trending products.  Pinterest takes the power of the post to the next level.

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SEO and SEM are the two main methods of getting impression and ranking on Google search.  SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which basically means unpaid organic search results for keywords.  Where as SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing, which basically means paid search results for an ad group that will normally have a pay per click (PPC) campaign.

The question is; which one is better?  This is not an easy question to answer because it can depend on your goal and objectives.  If you’re just looking for pure conversions or leads for your business or website then probably SEM is the best way to go.  Even though it is paid search it will increase your chances of having someone click on it because it normally appears at the very top of a Google search result page.  Plus most who click on ads are already looking for products or services related to your website so you increase your chances of having credible leads.

However when it comes to visibility and influence on the web.  There is really nothing better then SEO, because it demonstrates and proves your significance and popularity without any paid search.  In other words you could have a paid search that links to a website of company with a lot of money invested into the ad campaigns, that doesn’t necessarily correspond  with that companies organic visibility on the web.  SEO is the only true way to know how interested others are in your website.  So SEO and SEM are both necessary for any successful website but in my opinion SEO is best way to prove and gain true influence on the web

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A clean website design look seems to be growing in popularity.  Consider for a moment Google’s new platform for gmail. It has really evolved in recent months into a very  clean look, that has  given the user a more simpler and easier use of the interface .  Or another example would be Bing’s home page with just an image and a search bar. Even yahoo with its busy home page has made small changes to make it look cleaner and more simplistic.  I believe the reason for this format shift in presentation is two fold: user friendliness and quality.

First, user friendliness.  People today, more than every, are wanting the immediate and instantaneous.  In the real world of course this is rarely possible, but in the web world you can go at the speed of sight, giving the user almost no delay in accessing the information or entertainment they want.  So the clinical clean look of these major websites are perfect for anyone who does not want too waste a second on your site trying figure out how to navigate through it.

Which leads me to the second purpose of this new popular look, and that is quality.  When you see a website with a clean look, it automatically looks more professional.  Think about it, most people have a high regard and trust of medical doctors because of their profession, which  is promoted and perceived as being clean and clinical.  Why is this? The reason I believe is that their job necessitate a clean image because it deals with the care human body, but secondly because it preoccupied with a high quality service that is absolutely vital to health or any society.  The same image concept has been adopted by Google and Bing. Its to ensure the users that we are the best in taking care of all your searches on the web, and that they are in it for the benefit of you the user.  So in other words the clean website design look gives power back to the user or consumer, where they feel the website is there to serve them and their needs and not the other way round.

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Should you add a like button to your website?  This answer is an emphatic yes!  The like button is superior to even a share button.  Reason for this is a share button can only help promote or expose your site content to a wider audience, but it won’t communicate to that audience whether the people like or dislike the content.  Not even Google analytics can tell you what people like and dislike.  It can give you report on how, when, and who is visiting your site but it won’t tell you how many visitors like your website.  For example you could have people visit your site because they don’t like the subject or content of your website, and you would never know.  But now with the integration of like buttons you can find out how many people enjoyed the content of your website.

It will also make your website more engaging and interactive, and therefore keep visitors on site longer.   Plus when visitor clicks on the like button it will have immediate communication with all his or her social connections on facebook, thus creating extra exposure of your website or page to other unique potential visitors!  Finally you have the long term benefit of the like button.  Through accumulative likes you will positively affect your visibility on facebook, especially when someone does a search for your subject, product or service.

We at Smart Link are seeking to develop a greater influence on the web through social media and we believe to add a like button is big piece of this puzzle.  Contact us today to find out more!

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What is back linking and why is it so important in the world of SEO?  First of all, what is a link? A link is url string that is posted somewhere on the web that a user can click on in order to access that designated page.  The reason it’s referred to as link is because it literally links two web pages together, whereby the page remains independent but can serve as a link to another page.  So if you have a back link, you’ll have a hyperlink, that when clicked on will take the user to one of your pages.  In other words the link goes back to your designated page, and is therefore extremely useful for web navigation.  But back linking in terms of SEO can be very useful in generating and creating hyperlinks to your websites from other external pages.  This is sometimes referred to as inbound links or incoming links.  But how does this effect ranking on the major search engines?

Well, Google since its inception has included in their algorithms the back links that point to a particular domain.  The account widely accepted concerning the theory behind Google, is that the founders of Google felt it was important to emphasize the significance of back links to help determine a page relevancy, and hence ranked position on their search results.  The reason why that this is so highly valued these days in search results is that it gives a greater indication of a website’s popularity on the web.

This is no easy task though, so allow us at Smart Link to do the back linking for.  By utilizing our advance knowledge in SEO we can organically create back links to your site through our unique position and influence on the web! Contact us today to find out more!

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